The New Eats in Town

Since the beginning of the ski season, not only have we opened The Mountain Room, but the towns of Bethel and Newry are booming with new restaurants. Being total foodies and beverage enthusiasts, we decided to do some product testing and see what these new eateries and watering holes are all about.

What’d you drink?My boyfriend, Greg, opted for Allagash White, while I enjoyed a rich Henniker Brewing Co. Working Man’s Porter

What’d you eat?For an appetizer, we ordered the Indian poutine, which offered a spicy curried gravy with homemade paneer on top of fries. As for the entrees, Greg ordered the fish and chips, which was a huge piece of Atlantic cod battered with Magners Hard Cider, and I ordered the Yum Nua, a Thai beef salad that has a sweet and spicy flavor with spiralized beets and cucumbers. Everything was super flavorful and the portion sizes were on point.

What’d you think?The restaurant is cozy with an open kitchen as you walk through the door, and has a massive stone fireplace in the dining and bar area. For people who tend to crave different flavors, Bluebird offers the perfect mix of shared plates, pub food, and international cuisine to satisfy. The service is quick and friendly, the beer and wine selection was impressive, and the desserts looked delicious, though we were too full to do the proper taste test.

What’d you drink?When enjoying taco night, there can be only one drink: Margaritas. Herradura Anejo tequila, salted rim, plus one jalapeno to top it off. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was for dessert. (It was my weekend—don’t judge).

What’d you eat?To start off we ordered the Choza Changas, miniature chicken chimichangas (a lightly fried burrito-style wrap) served with the house salsa. For mains, tacos were the go-to. We ordered a total of 6 tacos of multiple varieties: fish, chorizo, carne asada and carnitas. Tacos come with either regular corn tortillas or Choza-style, corn tortillas with melted cheese lightly pan-fried.

What’d you think?La Choza had a great, relaxed atmosphere, befitting any proper taco joint. The service was top-notch and all the food was fresh and tasty. The crowd favorite was the fish tacos which paired perfectly with the delicious salsa verde. Thinking of ourselves as self-appointed taco connoisseurs, La Choza had a high bar to reach but I can easily say they exceeded expectations. It’s a great alternative to standard winter apres-ski style dining and provides an easy way to warm up during the winter months, especially if you throw a few extra jalapenos on your plate.

What’d you drink?We were celebrating our fifth anniversary so I opted for a Malbec and he went for a pint of Allagash White.

What’d you eat?The Portuguese crab fritter appetizer was the perfect blend of roasted corn, linguica, and crab, and paired nicely with the spicy remoulade. I opted to keep these flavors going by ordering Emeril’s Chicken—chicken breast stuffed with crab and chorizo, served with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and a chipotle hollandaise—and am so very glad that I did. Delish! The hubs ordered the Scallops Romesco and was equally pleased.

What’d you think?Fantastic—Brian’s is a great restaurant for a date night, girl’s night out, get together, or even drinks and apps after work. The interior was recently renovated and is absolutely beautiful, and the food and beverage menus give plenty of reasons to order another round, ask for dessert, or go back again.

What’d you drink?When you’re out with the rest of Team Snow, plus the awesome group over at Sunday River TV 7, there’s no better choice than splitting a bottle of wine. In this case, since we were about to dive into huge pans of pasta, we chose the Ruffino Chianti Classico.

What’d you eat?
The better question is what didn’t we eat. I ordered the Ziti Bolognese, which was rich with vegetables and flavorful meat. Darcy ordered the Linguini Carbonara, Nora ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli, and Bob held down the fort with the Calamari Salad. Our friends at the table next to us dined on Steamed Mussels in White Sauce and a plate of Roasted Garlic, so we snuck over there for a few bites too. Every entree is served with a family-style bowl of salad, and a huge hunk of fresh bread with dipping oil. We also finished the evening off with delectable cannoli.

What’d you think?Jimmy Seas is known best for its location on Martha’s Vineyard, so it’s exciting to see that they’re spending the winter months at the Victoria Inn in downtown Bethel. The servings were really large (as in a full pan of pasta), so I got two meals out of my dinner. It’s definitely a place to splurge on a meal, but on Wednesday’s they offer 2-for-1 entrees. We’ll certainly be back to try more of their dishes!

[…] case you hadn’t heard, ski bum is not synonymous with filthy rich, so enjoying all of the amazing bars and restaurants in any ski town is a science for locals. While I’m a happy patron at many establishments in this […]

[…] we’ve had an influx of new restaurants and bars in the Bethel and Newry region, and while many of the new eats in town got love from our voters, Bluebird and Brian’s split the popular vote! Bluebird, located in the […]